Sterilizing apparatus.



c. A SCHAERER. STERI'LIZING APPARATUS.. APPLICATION FILED AUG-Y8. I915.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

L a L f ZZZ CARL ALBERT SCI-IAERER, OF PANKOW, BERLIN, GERMANY.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

aiaaio.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 191"].

Application filed August 18, 1915. Serial No. 46,166i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL ALBERT SCHAE- BER, a citizen of Switzerland,residing at No. 113 Hartwigstrasse, Pankow, Berlin, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterlizing Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved sterilizing apparatus destined forthe surgical and medical use.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus by which aliquid, such for instance as a solution of chlorid of sodium, is notonly sterilized in a known manner by subjecting it to heat, but withinwhich the said sterilized liquid may also be preserved for aconsiderable length of time, ready for use on any occurrence; and thesterilizing effect of said apparatus is not limited to the liquid to beemployed for'medical or surgical use, but it simultaneously extends tothe auxiliary means and implements, such, for instance, as rubber ormetal pipes, injection-needles and other instruments to be employed inapplying the sterilized liquid.

The method of preparing sterilized liquids by heating the same, is wellknown, the difliculty hitherto experienced in applying such sterilizedliquids, particularly in injecting the same into the human body withevery due precaution against introducing infectious matter along withthe sterilized liquid, consisting in equally keeping in a thoroughlysterilized state the accessory and auxiliary means, implements andinstruments, ready for use at any moment. Such mechanical means forapplying the sterilized liquid, generally, are subjected to asterilizing treatment separate and independent from that employed forsterilizing the liquid, in the moment of use, then, the said auxiliarymeans, such as rubber, metal, glass or other pipes, injection needlesand injection pipes are required to be connected to the bottle orreceptacle containing the liquid to be applied, and as such connections,usually, are made by the aid of hands, or under admission of thesurrounding atmosphere, there is no certainty that perfect sterilizationis obtained.

By the use of the improved sterilizing apparatus of this invention, thesundry auxil iary mechanical means for applying the sterilized liquidare contained in the apparatus and kept in proper connection forimmediate use with the bottle or other receptacle containing saidliquid, all in a sterilized state and avoiding the necessity of fittingthe said mechanical means preparatory to the surgical application.

According to this invention, the improved sterilizing apparatusincludes, with the bottle or receptacle containing the liquid to beapplied, all mechanical and accessory means for immediate conveyance ofthe liquid from the apparatus into the body of the suffering person.

In order to fully explain my invention, I have illustrated the same bythe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 'isa plan of thesame, and Fig. 3 is a side-elevation of the upper portion of theapparatus, the covering bell and the casing for the rubber pipe havingbeen removed.

Referring to the drawings: 1 designates a bottle of glass or othersuitable material, having a neck and a metal plate 9. to cover itsmonth, said plate having apertures through which extend a shortdischarge pipe 3, and a pipe 4 for admitting air into the bottle, andwhich plate, further, carries a central supporting stay 8 or post. Thesaid plate 2 has its circumferential edge bent down to engage thebottle-head 5. The neck of the bottle, further, carries secured to it acollar 6, serving to support the lower edge of a covering bell 7. Arubber band 9 is placed between the said collar 6 and the bottle 1.Below the annular flange of the bottle head a hoop 10 is laid around thebottle-neck, said hoop being open and adapted to be removed; a swivel 11is pivoted to said hoop with its free ends. A screw 12 passes throughthe central part of said swivel and the lower end of said screw carriessecured to it an inverted cup-shaped cap 13 fitting the top of the stayor post 8. It will be seen, that by screwing down the said screw 12, thesaid stay will force the plate 2 against the mouth of the bottle,thereby hermetically stoppering the same.

A perforated cylindrical drum 14: is placed upon the neck of the bottle,surrounding the swivel 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. At the upper endof said drum, a flange 16 projects outside as well as inside; the insideflange has two slots 17 opposite each other, as shown in Fig. 2, throughwhich pins 18 projecting from the swivel 11 are made to pass on slidingsaid drum over said swivel. The rubber pipe 20 connectedto the dischargepipe 3 carries at its free end a needle holder 19 adapted to receive theinjection needle. The said rubber pipe 20, is wound up around the drum14 and secured in position by suitable clamps 21 or binding means. Belowthe collar 6 laid around the bottle-neck, an open hoop 22, is fittedaround said bottle neck. adapted to be closed and tightened by a bayonetjoint 2d: or other suitable means. A swivel 28 is pivoted to said hoop22 with its free ends, and to the central part of said swivel a cap 26,is secured by means of a spring-actuated stud 25. The said cap fits thetop of the glass-bell 7 and holds the same tightly in position owing tothe pressure of the spring of stud 25.

The operation of the apparatus before described is as follows: Thebottle or receptacle 1, having been filled up to the brim with theliquid to be sterilized, such for instance, as .a solution of chlorid ofsodium, the stoppering plate 2 is superposed on the bottle-mouth andtightened by the screw 12 of the swivel 11 acting against the stay 8through the cap 13. The drum 14, is then placed in position, surroundingsaid swivel l1, and a slight turn is given to said drum to shift theslots 17, out of coincidence with the guide pins 18 of the swivel 11;the drum, thereby, is prevented from coming out of position. The rubberpipe 20, is then connected to the discharge-pipe 3 extending into thebottle mouth through the covering plate 2. The glass-bell is then placedto cover the bottle mouth with the swivel 11 and drum 1% and the rubberpipe 20 in position. In such condition the whole apparatus-is put into aheating chamber of any known kind, within which the temperature israised to C. Under the influence of heat vapors will be developed fromthe liquid within the bottle, said vapors escaping through the dischargepipe and rubber pipe 20 connected to.it, flowing into the space insidethe glass-bell 7, and expelling from the said space the atmospheric airtherein contained. lVhen the heating operation has been continued for asuflicient length of time, not only the liquid contents of the bottle,but also the whole of thevparts connected to said bottle and kept insidethe glass-bell will undergo an absolute and reliable sterilization. Thesaid parts comprise all that is required for applying the injection ofthe sterilized liquid into parts of the human body. When the sterilizingoperation has been completed,,the apparatus is removed from the heatingchamber; on cooling down, the vapors within the bottle and inside thebell 7 will condense, a vacuum will be formed within said bell and theoutside atmospheric pressure will keep the bell tightly prwsed downagainst the rubber or packing band 9, below the hoop 22. The swivel 23,all the time, is kept in its raised and locked position, whereby thebell T is prevented from being thrown oil, while interior pressureexists within said bell. In this state of complete sterilization theapparatus may be preserved for any length of time, up to the moment ofuse of the sterilized liquid contained in the bottle. On occurrence ofsuch moment of application, the swivel 22-; of the apparatus is releasedand swung down, whereupon the bell 7 may be readily removed; the rubberpipe 20, needle holder and injection-needle being all in position forimmediate use and being all in a pen fectly sterilized state, thesurgical or medical operation may go on immediately.

On removing the bell 7, atmospheric air will enter into the bottlethrough the pipe 4, thereby allowing the liquid contents of the bottleto be discharged through the pipe 3 and rubber pipe 20. The hollow headof said pipe 4- may be filled with any filtering material such as wad orthe like, to retain dust or any impurities floating in the atmos phere.For the rest, any such impurities which might enter through said pipe4-, would be unable to do any harm, as the entering atmosphere onlyserves to counteract-the atmospheric pressure without, viz. to allow theliquid to be discharged from the bottle, the said air which enters atthe moment ofdischarge will. not enter into contact with the amount ofliquid actually discharged.

By this means, surgical and medical injections of liquid matter may becarried on with full security.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved sterilizing apparatus comprising, in combination, areceptacle for receiving the liquid substance to be sterilized, astopper for tightly closing the mouth of said receptacle, a dischargepipe leading through said stopper from the receptacle and an airfeeding, pipe leading into said receptacle through the said stopper, aflexible discharge pipe connected to the said discharge pipe leadingfrom the receptacle, means connected to said flexible discharge pipe forapplying the sterilized liquid to the sick body, a perforated drumplaced at top of said receptacle and serving to guide the flexibledischarge pipe, a bell covering the top of said receptacle together withthe stoppering means, pipes and drum connected thereto, and means fortightening said bell against its support, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In an improved sterilizing apparatus, the combination, with areceptacle for receiving the liquid substance to be sterilized, of astoppering device, means for tightening and releasing said stopperingdevice, a discharge pipe leading from the receptacle through saidstoppering device, an air feeding pipe leading into said receptaclethrough said stoppering device, means connected to said discharge pipefor leading the sterilized liquid out of the apparatus, a perforateddrum surrounding the stopperingdevice and parts carried by the same, abell surrounding said drum and superposed to the said receptacle, meansfor supporting said bell, a swivel carried by said supporting means forholding the said bell in position, and means for tightening andreleasing said bell as required, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving fluidsubstances to be sterilized, a closure for the receptacle, i11-strumentalities for facilitating the discharge of the fluid from thereceptacle, and a removable sealing bell secured to the receptacle toinclose the fluid discharging instrumentalities, said receptacle withthe receiving bell secured thereto being capable of being heated as anentirety to sterilize the fluid within the receptacle to cause thevapors from the heated fluid to pass into the sealing bell through thefluid discharging instrumentalities to sterilize the instrumentalitiescontained within the sealing bell.

4:. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving fluidsubstances to be sterilized, a collar secured to the receptacle, aclosure for the receptacle having means to discharge fluid from thereceptacle and provided also with a vent, a sealing bell for inclosingthe fluid discharging means and the vent, and means carried by thecollar to clamp the bell into engagement with collar supporting means tohermetically seal the instrumentalities within the bell including thefluid discharging means and the vent, whereby the entire apparatus maybe heated sufliciently to sterilize the fluid within the receptacle andpermit the vapors from the fluid to escape through the fluid dischargingmeans for sterilizing the instrumentalities contained within the sealingbell.

5. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving fluidsubstances to be sterilized, a hoop secured to the receptacle near themouth thereof and provided with a swivel, means to maintain the swivelin a predetermined position, locking pins carried by the swivel, aclosure for the receptacle having fluid discharging instrumentalities, adrum adapted to be positioned around the fluid discharginginstrumentalities, said drum being provided with a flange having notchesto permit of the passage therethrough of the swivel locking pins wherebythe drum may be moved to a predetermined position on the receptacle andretained in such position, a part of the fluid discharginginstrumentalities being coiled around the drum, a sealing bell to closethe fluid discharge instrumentalities and a drum, and means tohermetically seal the bell to the receptacle.

6. The hereindescribed method of sterilizing fluid and fluid discharginginstrumentalities, which consists in placing the fluid to be sterilizedwithin a receptacle having a closure provided with fluid dischargeinstrumentalities and a vent leading to the interior of the receptacle,and provided also with a sealing bell to inclose the receptacle closure,the fluid discharging instrtimentalities and the vent, placing theentire apparatus into a heating chamber to heat the fluid within thecontainer until it is sterilized, continuing such heating of the fluidwithin the receptacle until heat vapors developing from the fluid withinthe receptacle are discharged through the fluid discharginginstrumentalities into the sealing bell to expel the atmospheric airfrom within the sealing bell through the vent and to thereby sterilizeinstrumentalities within said bell, removing the entire apparatus fromthe heating chamber to a cooler chamber to permit the vapors Within thereceptacle and the receiving bell to be condensed and thereby form apartial vacuum within the sealing bell.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL ALBERT SCHAERER.

Witnesses HENRY HASPER, ARTHUR SoHRoEDER.

fleplee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Gommlsaloner of Watenta, Washington, D. U.

